The ICJ’s Advisory Opinion on Climate Change: Does It Throw a Wrench into the Negotiator’s Toolbox of Diplomatic Problem-Solving Techniques?

About/Bio

Susan Biniaz, most recently the Principal Deputy Special Envoy for Climate, was the lead climate lawyer for the United States from 1989 until 2017. She is a Senior Fellow and Lecturer at the Yale Jackson School of Global Affairs and a Fellow at U. Penn's Perry World House and U. Chicago's Institute for Climate and Sustainable Growth.

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The ICJ’s Advisory Opinion on Climate Change: Does It Throw a Wrench into the Negotiator’s Toolbox of Diplomatic Problem-Solving Techniques?

September 23, 2025

Daniel Bodansky

Susan Biniaz

The International Court of Justice’s recent Advisory Opinion on Climate Change (AO) has been widely celebrated by many States, non-governmental groups, and commentators as a victory for climate ambition and climate justice. To the extent there have been criticisms, they have generally been on the basis that the…